The present invention pertains to a universal joint yoke with two parallel yoke legs, which have a partial area for a bearing eye hole.
Universal joint yokes of this class are used as forged parts in all areas of mechanical engineering, especially also in the manufacture of passenger cars and utility vehicles. The universal joint yokes used are connected here to usually round connection profiles on the side of the universal joint facing away from the yoke legs. A hole, which may be additionally provided with internal teeth, is prepared for this purpose in the corresponding universal joint. These internal teeth are usually prepared by a broaching operation by means of broaching tools. The broaching operation requires a certain free space in the area between the two legs of the yoke, so that the possible maximum axial diameter for the broaching or drilling operation is determined by the distance between the legs of the yoke. Due to this geometric dependence, universal joints of different sizes are commonly used for connection profiles of different sizes according to the state of the art. Different joint yoke sizes in turn require different individual components, as a result of which the manufacturing costs of such universal joint yokes of this class are increased as a consequence of increased stocking expenses and the small numbers of components manufactured.
It should be noted in connection with the different universal joint sizes used in the state of the art that the needle bearings arranged in the bearing eye holes within the legs of the yoke require a certain overlap, i.e., a certain thickness of the yoke legs. It is therefore often impossible to increase the dimensions between the legs of the yoke to bring about a larger maximum passage for a connection profile because of the preset external dimensions of the universal joint yokes.
The object of the present invention is therefore to improve a universal joint yoke of this class such that despite a sufficient overlap for the needle bearings used in the bearing eye holes, a maximum mating dimension for the use of larger connection profiles is possible in order to thus reduce the number of joint sizes for different connection profiles.
This object is accomplished according to the present invention by the inner sides of the legs of the yoke which face one another having an area of thickened material in the unfinished state of the universal joint yoke in the areas of the of bearing eye holes.
The area of thickened material in the areas of the bearing eye holes has the effect that after the corresponding bearing eye holes have been prepared, a greater overlap is formed at the edges of these holes for the needle bearings than that present in universal joint yokes according to the state of the art. On the other hand, the original thickness of the yoke leg and the distance between the legs of the yoke is preserved as a free space, so that larger connection profiles can be connected with the universal joint yoke than before. The larger connection profiles make it possible for the first time to connect the larger connection profiles known from utility vehicles with smaller universal joint yokes from, e.g., the manufacture of passenger cars. Existing steering gear connections or steering column connections of utility vehicles can thus be used together with the universal joint components of passenger cars, which are less expensive because of their size. The joint use of utility vehicle and passenger car components is favorable for the standardization of components, manufacture and assembly, which in turn increases the interchangeability of the individual components and contributes to a reduction in the cost of the manufacturing process. Moreover, already existing joint components, such as needle bearings, seals and inner crosses of the passenger car assembly unit can be used without change due to the measure according to the present invention. The use of the inventive feature also extends, of course, to all usual passenger car universal joint yokes, in which standardization can be brought about as well.
An exemplary embodiment of the subject of the present invention will be explained in greater detail below based on the attached drawings.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.